San Sebastian focuses on peace, diversity themes for European Capital of Culture 2016 celebrations

• Major ‘war and peace’ art show planned, with works by Picasso, Goya •

Spain’s northern city of San Sebastian has kicked off a year of celebration as European Capital of Culture 2016, with concerts, art performances and other events celebrating peace, tolerance and cultural diversity in what until recently Spain’s war-torn Basque Country.

The city’s mayor said San Sebastian plans to use its yearlong status as European Capital of Culture — shared this year with the city of Wroclaw in Poland — to use culture as a tool to promote peace and harmony across Europe and to heal the wounds left from the violence of the Basque Country’s violent separatist past.

As part of the yearlong festivities, the city will be hosting a major art exhibition on the theme of war and peace that will include works by Spanish artists Pablo Picasso, Francisco Goya and French architect and artist Le Corbusier.